News & Views |
Featured
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Electric-field-induced colour switching in colloidal quantum dot molecules at room temperature
Current quantum dot emitters are limited to small-spectral-range colour tuning accompanied by intensity reduction. Electric-field-induced reversible emission colour switching without intensity loss can be achieved on a single-particle level in quantum dot molecules with two coupled emission centres.
- Yonatan Ossia
- , Adar Levi
- & Uri Banin
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Article |
High quantum efficiency of hydrogen production from methanol aqueous solution with PtCu–TiO2 photocatalysts
Liquid water reforming of methanol is a promising method for on-demand hydrogen production. An atomic-level catalyst design strategy, using synergy between single atoms and nanodots, is now shown to demonstrate a high quantum efficiency for hydrogen production.
- Hui Wang
- , Haifeng Qi
- & Junwang Tang
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Article |
Inter-facet junction effects on particulate photoelectrodes
In anisotropically shaped photocatalyst particles different constituent facets may form inter-facet junctions at their adjoining edges. Using multimodal functional imaging, inter-facet junction effects on anisotropically shaped bismuth vanadate particles are revealed.
- Xianwen Mao
- & Peng Chen
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Article |
Organic long-persistent luminescence stimulated by visible light in p-type systems based on organic photoredox catalyst dopants
Organic blends based on cationic photoredox catalyst dopants in neutral donor hosts show p-type charge transport behaviour. This favours reduced reactivity to oxygen in organic long-persistent luminescence materials responsive to visible light.
- Kazuya Jinnai
- , Ryota Kabe
- & Chihaya Adachi
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Article |
Development of a photoelectrochemically self-improving Si/GaN photocathode for efficient and durable H2 production
Development of efficient yet durable photoelectrodes is of paramount importance for deployment of solar-fuel production. The photoelectrochemically self-improving behaviour of a silicon/gallium nitride photocathode highly efficient for hydrogen production is now reported.
- Guosong Zeng
- , Tuan Anh Pham
- & Francesca M. Toma
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Why it Matters |
Overcoming hurdles facing researchers in Africa
Tebello Nyokong, Bokolombe Ngoy and Edith Amuhaya share their experiences in conducting research in Africa.
- Tebello Nyokong
- , Bokolombe P. Ngoy
- & Edith K. Amuhaya
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Article |
Linking in situ charge accumulation to electronic structure in doped SrTiO3 reveals design principles for hydrogen-evolving photocatalysts
Understanding the origin of unprecedented solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies in doped SrTiO3 has proved challenging. Linking in situ charge accumulation to electronic structure in this system now reveals design principles for hydrogen-evolving photocatalysts.
- Benjamin Moss
- , Qian Wang
- & James R. Durrant
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Perspective |
Flow and extraction of energy and charge carriers in hybrid plasmonic nanostructures
Recent developments in the emerging field of hybrid plasmonics focusing on fundamental aspects related to nanoscopic flow of energy and excited charge carriers in these multicomponent materials and their potential applications are now discussed.
- Suljo Linic
- , Steven Chavez
- & Rachel Elias
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Perspective |
The topology of electronic band structures
This Perspective provides a broad introduction to topological materials science, with a particular focus on semimetals.
- Prineha Narang
- , Christina A. C. Garcia
- & Claudia Felser
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Article |
Intrinsic efficiency limits in low-bandgap non-fullerene acceptor organic solar cells
A systematic analysis of a series of donor–acceptor organic blends shows that in solar cells based on low-bandgap non-fullerene acceptors an ionization energy offset of about 0.5 eV is required to ensure efficient charge separation.
- Safakath Karuthedath
- , Julien Gorenflot
- & Frédéric Laquai
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News & Views |
Moving hydrogels to the fourth dimension
Materials that permit spatiotemporal control of biomolecule presentation have long been a challenge in the field. A method has now been developed to reversibly pattern cell-laden hydrogels with site-specifically immobilized proteins using sortase-mediated transpeptidation without compromising bioactivity.
- Jonathan H. Galarraga
- & Jason A. Burdick
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Article |
Resorcinol–formaldehyde resins as metal-free semiconductor photocatalysts for solar-to-hydrogen peroxide energy conversion
Generation of hydrogen peroxide from water and dioxygen is promising for artificial photosynthesis but photocatalysts suffer from low efficiency. Resorcinol–formaldehyde resins exhibit stable H2O2 generation with more than 0.5% solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency.
- Yasuhiro Shiraishi
- , Takahiro Takii
- & Takayuki Hirai
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Letter |
Oxysulfide photocatalyst for visible-light-driven overall water splitting
The instability of sulfide ions during water oxidation prevents simultaneous evolution of hydrogen and oxygen. An oxysulfide semiconductor photocatalyst, Y2Ti2O5S2, is shown to evolve H2 and O2 via a water-splitting reaction under visible-light irradiation.
- Qian Wang
- , Mamiko Nakabayashi
- & Kazunari Domen
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Article |
Bioactive site-specifically modified proteins for 4D patterning of gel biomaterials
A modular approach of photoreversible patterning of macromolecules with high spatiotemporal resolution within hydrogels is employed to generate biomaterials with controllable cell activity through site-specific immobilization of proteins.
- Jared A. Shadish
- , Gabrielle M. Benuska
- & Cole A. DeForest
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Article |
Chemical nature of ferroelastic twin domains in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite
Combined multimodal atomic force microscopy, ion microscopy, ion mass spectrometry and infrared spectrometry experiments explore the chemical properties of ferroelastic twin domains in hybrid lead halide perovskites.
- Yongtao Liu
- , Liam Collins
- & Olga S. Ovchinnikova
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Article |
Large tunable photoeffect on ion conduction in halide perovskites and implications for photodecomposition
The ionic conductivity of methylammonium lead iodide is enhanced up to two orders of magnitude when the material is exposed to light. This effect may also have implications for the photostability of perovskites.
- Gee Yeong Kim
- , Alessandro Senocrate
- & Joachim Maier
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Article |
Excitation-wavelength-dependent small polaron trapping of photoexcited carriers in α-Fe2O3
The effect of polaron formation on photoconversion efficiency for oxide photocatalysts is not well known. Femtosecond extreme-ultraviolet measurements suggest that polaron localization is responsible for ultrafast trapping of photoexcited carriers in haematite.
- Lucas M. Carneiro
- , Scott K. Cushing
- & Stephen R. Leone
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Article |
Visualizing excitations at buried heterojunctions in organic semiconductor blends
A pump–push–probe time-resolved technique is developed to characterize the dynamics of photoexcitations at buried, disordered interfaces. Applied to organic bulk heterojunctions, the method provides insight on charge separation in photovoltaic films.
- Andreas C. Jakowetz
- , Marcus L. Böhm
- & Richard H. Friend
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Review Article |
Photovoltaic concepts inspired by coherence effects in photosynthetic systems
Lessons learned from coherent phenomena in biological photosynthetic systems may be useful to improve energy- and charge-transport in disordered materials. This Review describes coherence and its potential beneficial effects in photovoltaics.
- Jean-Luc Brédas
- , Edward H. Sargent
- & Gregory D. Scholes
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Article |
Temporal mapping of photochemical reactions and molecular excited states with carbon specificity
Laser-excited muon pump–probe spin spectroscopy and analysis of avoided level crossing resonances are used to probe the time evolution of the chemical reactivity of individual carbon atoms in TIPS-pentacene after light excitation.
- K. Wang
- , P. Murahari
- & A. J. Drew
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Article |
Solution-based electrical doping of semiconducting polymer films over a limited depth
A solution process for the diffusion of dopants in organic semiconducting films over a limited depth has been developed. The method is applied to single polymers and donor–acceptor mixtures, and for the realization of single-layer solar cells.
- Vladimir A. Kolesov
- , Canek Fuentes-Hernandez
- & Bernard Kippelen
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Article |
Localized dielectric breakdown and antireflection coating in metal–oxide–semiconductor photoelectrodes
Silicon-based photoelectrodes are attractive for solar fuel production, but suffer from vulnerability to corrosion. Using dielectric breakdown, a generic approach to improve the performance of metal-oxide semiconductor photoelectrodes is proposed.
- Li Ji
- , Hsien-Yi Hsu
- & Edward T. Yu
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Article |
Water reduction by a p-GaInP2 photoelectrode stabilized by an amorphous TiO2 coating and a molecular cobalt catalyst
Producing hydrogen via solar water splitting with metal-based molecular catalysts offers scalability. An active p-GaInP2 photocathode stabilized by a TiO2 layer functionalized by a cobaloxime molecular catalyst is now reported for water reduction.
- Jing Gu
- , Yong Yan
- & John A. Turner
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Article |
Enhanced energy transport in genetically engineered excitonic networks
A super-Förster energy-transfer regime, where coherent and incoherent energy transport processes enhance the diffusion of excitons, is observed at room temperature by tuning the distance between the chromophores’ binding sites in a virus scaffold.
- Heechul Park
- , Nimrod Heldman
- & Angela M. Belcher
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Review Article |
Photochemical transformations on plasmonic metal nanoparticles
Optically excited plasmonic nanoparticles can activate chemical reactions on their surfaces. The underlying physical mechanisms responsible for the chemical activity and advances in photocatalysis on plasmonic metallic nanostructures are discussed.
- Suljo Linic
- , Umar Aslam
- & Matthew Morabito
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News & Views |
Enantioselective photoactivation
Circularly polarized light actualizes the formation of chiral twisted ribbons from achiral semiconductor nanoparticles.
- Bart Kahr
- & Alexander G. Shtukenberg
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Article |
Resonant energy transfer of triplet excitons from pentacene to PbSe nanocrystals
Triplet excitons generated in a pentacene layer by singlet exciton fission are transferred to lead selenide colloidal nanocrystals with high efficiency when their energy matches the bandgap of the nanocrystals.
- Maxim Tabachnyk
- , Bruno Ehrler
- & Akshay Rao
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Identifying champion nanostructures for solar water-splitting
Assessing the effect of nanometre-scale structure on charge transport across micrometre-scale distances remains a fundamental challenge for many energy-conversion technologies. By correlating the structure and the charge transport with nanometre resolution across micrometre-scale distances, nanoparticle aggregates responsible for the high photoelectrochemical water-splitting activity of α-Fe2O3 electrodes are identified.
- Scott C. Warren
- , Kislon Voïtchovsky
- & Michael Grätzel
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News & Views |
Enlightened pores
The functionalization of crystalline porous materials is frequently limited to groups inert to the microscopic structure. Photoconversion of dormant precursors into highly reactive species shines light on the problem.
- Matthew J. Rosseinsky